How Are Laptops Used On The International Space Station?

When the ISS was being designed, they wisely concluded that installing physical interfaces into the structure of the ISS was not a good idea.

It’s very hard to upgrade and/or repair interfaces that are part of the vehicle, whereas if laptop computers are used, upgrading/repair is as simple as launching a CD-ROM, uploading a file, or replacing the laptop.

So, with the exception of emergency hardware (e.g. ventilation valves), comm panels, and a limited set of other hardware, almost all vehicle commanding is done via a laptop interface.